Canadian guests enjoy Carnew hospitality
THE community of Carnew and south Wicklow recently welcomed home a group of descendants of their kinfolk who emigrated to Canada during the bleak hungry years of mid 19th century Ireland. The visit was organised by the Coollattin Canadian Connection, an initiative of Carnew couple, Kevin and Eleanor Lee which was launched in January 2016.
Since its inception the organisers have managed to re unite many Canadian Irish with their south Wicklow roots. As part of this year’s homecoming, visitors came from places as far flung as Ottawa, Waterloo, North Bay, Kemptville, Gananoque, Vancouver, Edmonton, North Carolina, Michigan as well as Carnew’s twinned town of Smiths Falls, Ontario. In Carnew the visiting group were taken on an historical walking tour of the border village which concluded with a vintage garden tea party in a pre famine cottage generously made available by Elizabeth (O’Reilly) Flanagan. One of the most meaningful events of the week was staged at the beautiful elevated site of the mass rock at Mount Pleasant near Tinahely, kindly made available by the Rothwell family. Here the local clergy joined in a homecoming celebration in song, music, dance and reflection emanating from both sides of the Atlantic. The week’s activities were brought to a fitting conclusion on Friday evening. Following a most informative session with the Wicklow county archivist and genealogist, Catherine Wright, the visitors travelled to Poole’s restaurant to attend a Victorian banquet. The splendid meal was prepared in accordance with a recipe from a book used by the cook in Coollattin House during the 1880s. Guest of honour at the function was his Excellency, Kevin Vickers, Canadian Ambassador to Ireland. The meal was followed by a special production of the award winning play, Flight to Grosse Ile, staged in St Bridgid’s Hall by Kilrush Drama group.